South African President Ramaphosa calls for accountability over Palestine, Sudan and Iran
In New Delhi, India, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa called for accountability during the BRICS leaders' summit for what he described as crimes against the peoples of Palestine and Sudan, as well as an illegal war against Iran. He said that international law cannot be applied selectively, Anadolu Agency reports.
The same principles for all states
According to Ramaphosa, accountability for crimes is necessary to strengthen the rule of law, including for what he characterized as the ongoing genocide of Palestinians, crimes against Sudan's population, and the illegal war against Iran. He stressed that violations should be exposed and pressure exerted over them regardless of when and by whom they were committed.
The South African president said that the same principles must apply to all states and that all peoples must have the same protection. He also noted that South Africa and other countries had turned to bodies such as the International Court of Justice to seek justice for Palestinians.
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Reform of the UN Security Council
Ramaphosa warned that the relevance of the UN and the resilience of the multilateral system are under threat due to, in his words, open violations of the UN Charter and the use of war to settle disputes between states. He added that international institutions and rules are increasingly being ignored and undermined.
The South African president also reiterated his country's call for comprehensive reform of the UN Security Council. According to him, Africa has 54 UN member states and accounts for nearly one-fifth of humanity, yet has no permanent representation on the Security Council. In his view, the body should be more representative, accountable, transparent and effective.
Ramaphosa said that BRICS must remain a collective voice for reform, demonstrate practical results of multilateral cooperation, promote fairer and development-oriented global governance, and serve as a bridge across geopolitical divisions. BRICS leaders gathered in the Indian capital for the 18th summit, which is expected to result in the New Delhi Declaration with a framework for turning political commitments into concrete action.
